Backlash
by MaliceUnchained
Summary: Survivor of a Tal Shiar attack. Youngest Admiral in Starfleet. Key figure in the alliance between the Romulan Republic and the Federation. Kassai Lydana has earned these accolades and more, and she has sacrificed almost all she had in her service to the ideals of Starfleet. But now a new threat emerges, one that could potentially ruin all that she has fought and sacrificed for...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: She's back! Everyone's favourite Bajoran returns, in a brand new story, directed by Jonathan Frakes!* A special thank you to all my readers and supporters, but a MASSIVE vote of thanks to Kretolus, who has read and reviewed pretty much every STO fic I've written from the start. His own stories are excellent, and you should totally read those too!**

 **I should also apologise for the long hiatus. Things have been mad, with christmas, and the new year, and A LOT of parenting, and then there was a small Tribble infestation we had to get rid of,** but we're okay now!**

 **Star Trek Online is not mine, etc.**

 *** - probably a lie.**

 **** - _definitely_ a lie.**

* * *

The diminutive form of Admiral Kassai Lydana stormed down the corridor of the _Shadow of Bajor_ , the tails of her Intelligence-issued long coat snapping behind her. She sipped her Vulcan spiced tea as she strode towards the bridge, giving a short nod to any crewmembers that greeted her.

She felt renewed, revitalised...but also colder, as though something was missing from her. She knew that there was, but she could no longer dwell in her grief – she had spent time on _Mol'rihan_ grieving, and now it was time to get back to the life Loraya wanted her to live.

"Ma'am, I have those reports for you," a young human officer in a yellow-trimmed uniform stated, hurrying to keep up with the admiral and passing her a PADD. "Engineering are just finishing installation of the new warp core, and-"

"What happened to these readiness times?" Lydana asked firmly, frowning as she found more details she didn't like.

"Ma'am?"

"Red alert readiness times were at two minutes when I left," she told the younger officer. "Now they're at almost four and a half. What happened?"

"Well, the captain-"

"Has clearly let the crew get sloppy," Lydana interrupted, passing the PADD back. "I'll get this crew back in shape even if it kills me. Tell Engineering to finalise that warp core installation ASAP, we have work to do."

The young officer peeled away again as Lydana stepped into the turbolift, and commanded it to take her to the bridge.

* * *

"Officer on deck!"

Lydana swept out of the turbolift with the same focussed speed, and her bridge officers all stood at the announcement.

"As you were, people," she told them, striding around the Tactical and Intel sections and heading for her ready room. "Captain Flores, in my ready room, please."

The young admiral entered the office-like space, setting her mug on the desk and settling into the chair with predatory grace, and the change was not lost on Elisa.

"Well, you've changed a bit, Lyddie," she said with a crooked smile, as the door closed behind her. Lydana met her eyes, but did not smile back. "Is...is there a problem?"

"I'm requesting your reassignment," she told her friend flatly, and Elisa's expression became a mixture of anger and pain.

"What? Why?! Now, I worked damn-"

Lydana's raised hand stopped her, and she bit off her tirade immediately.

"You're a Captain now, Elisa," Lydana answered, her tone softer. "And I am back in command of the _Shadow_. You don't need to be a second-in-command any longer. You've earned your own command several times over, and it's about time you got a new one."

"I-I'm...I'm shocked, Lyddie. This is...a bit out of the blue, isn't it?"

"Changes have to be made, Elisa," she continued in that quiet tone, which actually made the human redhead _more_ concerned. "This seemed like a natural one. It's about time you moved on, had your own command again."

"Well...I'll be sorry to leave, ma'am," she managed, after swallowing hard. "It's...been an honour."

"Likewise," Lydana responded, offering her hand, and Elisa shook it after the briefest hesitation. "I'll find you a ship worthy of you, I promise. Dismissed, Captain."

Elisa turned on her heel and marched out, still stunned by the conversation she'd just had.

Lydana had barely enough time to finish her tea when she was informed of an incoming hail from Starfleet Intelligence, and she accepted it at her personal terminal.

The screen lit with the face of an Andorian admiral, her features narrow and sharply defined. A pair of dark brown eyes glared out from amidst pale blue skin, and her white hair was cut much shorter than Lydana's own.

" _Admiral Kassai, welcome back,"_ the Andorian said with a wry grin. _"I am Admiral Sh'vera, your new CO. I hope there will not be any problems between us."_

"I don't see why there should be, ma'am," Lydana answered politely. "May I ask what happened to Admiral DeVare?"

" _He was...reassigned, following Captain O'Neill's testimony at your tribunal,"_ Sh'vera replied. _"While his removal was unfortunate, I am sad to say I agree with the Captain's assessment. He handled you badly after New Romulus, probably before that too. How are feeling, being back?"_

Lydana detected no judgement or enmity from the woman, and she felt like they would form a good working relationship.

"I'm okay, ma'am, thank you," she said. "I've had my compassionate leave now, I've...I've dealt with my personal matters as best I can. Now I'm just eager to be about it."

" _Glad to hear it. In that case, I have good news – someone has managed to contact us and request a meeting. They say they have information pertinent to the war effort, and they have asked for you by name."_

"Because that doesn't sound in any way like a trap," Lydana answered sardonically.

" _Precisely, which is why we_ want _you to go,"_ Sh'vera replied. _"If it is a trap, at least you have a chance of finding your way out of it. Oh, don't look so surprised, I've read your file. Your escape from the_ Khnial _was impressive and resourceful."_

Lydana fought to hide a blush, annoyed that she still even had that reaction after all she had been through.

Even now, she wasn't used to praise.

"Thank you, ma'am, I'll certainly do my best to find out what's going on."

" _Good. They sent co-ordinates for a rendezvous in the Iconia 's clear across the other side of the quadrant, so be careful – we won't be able to get reinforcements there fast enough to help you."_

"Understood, Admiral. We'll see to it. Kassai, out."

The screen blanked before returning to the UFP logo, and Lydana rubbed her nose ridges in thought. This didn't just smell like a trap – it smelled like a particularly unpleasant one.

She got up and left her ready room, making her way to the captain's chair and settling back into it. Even after so long, it still felt right, and she smiled as she spotted a familiar face at the helm.

"Mister Cobham, still with us, I see," she said with a smile, and the fair-haired young man turned to face her.

"Damn straight, ma'am," he grinned back, "I was hand-picked for this post, and I knew you'd be back. Wouldn't trust anyone else to fly for you, so I _had_ to stay!"

"Well, I'm glad," she answered with a chuckle. "Engineering are reporting the all clear, so let's get moving, shall we? Bring us out nice and slow, Ryan."

The ship trembled softly as the engines came online, easing the sleek black vessel out of its docking cradle. It settled onto its course as Ryan guided it into the appropriate vector for leaving Earth space, and he reported back to Lydana as soon as they were clear.

"Very good, Mister Cobham. Set course for the Iconia system, maximum warp."

"Yes ma'am, setting course for the Iconia system," he confirmed, with a newfound confidence that mirrored Lydana's own. "Course laid in."

"Engage," she commanded, and the engines flared as they built up their energy, before the ship blasted away from Earth in a blink.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This took way too long, and I'm sorry, but it's here now! And I have plans for its continuation, so progress should be made now, albeit slowly.**

 **Hope you all enjoy! Soecial thanks as always to my good friend Kretolus, because he's awesome :D**

* * *

The _Shadow of Bajor_ slowed back to impulse speed as it reached the edge of the Iconia system, and Lydana was on her feet in an instant.

"Go to yellow alert, raise shields," she commanded, and light bars set into the bridge walls began to pulse a sickly yellow.

"Ops, start scanning for any-"

"Ma'am, we have a problem."

"What is it, mister Rhobas?" she asked her Andorian tactical officer, his expression confused and concerned.

"We're being bombarded by some sort of tachyon pulse, it's stopping us from raising shields," he explained flatly. "At the same time, our sensors are being jammed – or at least someone is _attempting_ to jam us. I don't think they realised how good the sensors are on an Intel vessel...but it is still making it harder to lock down the location.

"Ryan, all stop. I don't want us going anywhere until-"

She was cut off mid-sentence, as she suddenly vanished in a flare of transporter light.

* * *

The first thing Lydana noticed was the darkness.

Not a true, total blackout, instead it was a grubby, dimly-lit gloom, caused by small patches of fluorescent moss. Although she couldn't gauge where she was, she figured it was a cave or somewhere underground.

Then she noticed the bindings, and the upright table she was restrained to.

"Well, that went far better than I expected," purred a voice that Lydana swore she should know. "The famed Admiral Kassai, helpless and entirely at my mercy."

"Who are you?" she demanded of the voice. "What do you want with me?"

"Hush, Lydana," the voice crooned, "I want to savour this moment, and you are spoiling it."

Lydana peered into the dark, desperate to find her captor.

"Who are you," she asked again, "and how do you know me?"

"Let's just say," the voice answered, moving closer, "we are two sides of the same coin."

Lydana gasped as the person emerged from the shadows, bringing her face close to Lydana's.

She found herself staring into her own brown eyes, the figure before her an almost exact mirror image. The scars were different, as was the cut of her chestnut-coloured hair, but the woman she saw was very definitely herself, the badge she wore marking her as being from the Mirror Universe.

"But...how?" Lydana asked, and her double laughed viciously.

"An unpleasant side effect of your attempt to break into _our_ universe," Mirror Lydana answered with cruel glee. "I've been trying to get through for such a long time, and then you come along and virtually open the door for me."

"What do you want?" Lydana asked firmly, testing her restraints but to no avail.

Her counterpart grinned, an unpleasant smile that chilled Lydana to the core.

"I've been doing a little research since I got through," the Mirror Bajoran said, pacing in front of her captive, "and I was surprised to find that in this universe, I have been quite successful. Life in our universe is not easy, nor is it pleasant, and I decided I was going to take what should be mine."

Lydana frowned.

"My life is _not_ yours," she said, her voice disdainful. "Just because we are the same person in different universes, doesn't mean that you are entitled to my life."

"I am!" the Mirror Lydana snarled, gripping the other by the throat. "I am here because _you_ let me in, and if we inhabit the same universe then I _am_ you!"

She let go, and Lydana sucked in a grateful breath between bouts of coughing.

"I am taking over your life, Lydana, and I will make our name one for _all_ to fear." The Mirror Lydana pulled out a hypospray, pressing it to Lydana's neck with a soft hiss.

"Time to sleep, my precious twin," the Mirror invader crooned, stroking Lydana's cheek almost tenderly. "But don't worry, I won't leave without saying goodbye."

Lydana attempted to speak, but her eyelids had grown heavy and her mind fogged, until she finally slumped against her restraints as she lost consciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Well, this took a bloody long time...however, it's here! The update you've all forgotten was coming! Anyhoo, I hope you all enjoy it. I know I'm enjoying what will come next!**

 **Thanks, as ever, to my good friend and epic writer of stuff, Kretolus. Read his stuff already!**

* * *

She was awoken with a backhanded blow across her face, and Lydana swore as her vision swam back into focus.

"Time to wake up, precious," her twin purred. "There us one more thing I need, and you need to be awake for it."

As Lydana's drug-clouded mind started to clear, she realised that her counterpart now wore her Intel longcoat and Starfleet-issue skirt, while she herself was now wearing the ragged uniform her double had worn.

The implications were...unsettling.

"If you're planning what I think you are," Lydana stated firmly, "it won't work. There's a few years of memories you don't have, and anyone who knows me would catch you out almost instantly."

"Oh no, you're right!" her double exclaimed mockingly. "How could I forget?! My plan is ruined!"

She backhanded Lydana again, cackling with malevolent amusement.

"You forget, my dear opposite, that I am still you. I have thought this through just as meticulously as you would, and I am prepared. Slave!"

Out of the shadows came another figure that Lydana recognised, the grace and poise of the woman she knew scoured away by fear she never should have felt.

"T'Vrell…" she breathed, and for just an instant there was a spark of joy in the Vulcan's eyes.

It was swiftly crushed by Mirror Lydana threatening her with extra beatings.

"Don't be fooled, this is not the woman you know," the invader purred. "She is wholly subservient to me, and she will get what I need from your mind."

"You are insane."

Lydana's twin seemed to contemplate this for a moment.

"Hm. You're probably right, but that is irrelevant. Slave, do your work, and you, my sweet sister...I would advise not resisting."

Lydana attempted to twist away as the Mirror version of T'Vrell stepped up to her, placing her hands on Lydana's face in the standard placement for a mind-meld.

"Please, don't," Lydana whispered, and she saw the unspoken apology in the Vulcan's eyes, before a blinding, piercing pain tore through her mind.

After what felt like an eternity, the pain receded, and Lydana slumped against the device that held her. She could only watch as the enslaved T'Vrell performed another mind-meld on her counterpart, no doubt passing on the memories she'd stolen.

At the end of the process, the Mirror Lydana staggered, clearly suffering as much as Lydana herself had done. The Mirror Bajoran looked up at Lydana, grinning with exhausted malice.

"See?" she asked, "I told you...I had a plan. Now, as soon as I leave, the power to all the systems here will no doubt cut off, releasing you...but it's not like you can go anywhere. Although...we can't have you trying to shout a warning when I contact your ship, so…"

The Mirror Lydana applied a Vulcan nerve pinch, allowing Lydana to slump against her restraints once again.

"Well, this has been a surprisingly successful venture," the Mirror Lydana stated, and the slave-T'Vrell nodded.

"Yes, my mistress."

Mirror Lydana rolled her eyes.

"One, I wasn't talking to you, and two-"

She drew her phaser and shot the slave in the chest, killing her instantly, and stepped aside to let the body collapse to the floor.

"I can't have any loose ends."

She tapped the commbadge and ordered the _Shadow_ to beam her out, and she disappeared in a haze, leaving behind a corpse and the inert form of the true Lydana.

* * *

Lydana awoke more gently than last time, but to almost complete darkness. The lights on the equipment her double had brought, meagre though they were, were now dark and powerless, leaving the moss the only source of light in the cavern where she was captive.

She pushed herself up from the floor, looking back at the device that had held her previously, its restraints locked open, and she realised that her twin had spoken truthfully.

Everything in the cavern was now powered down and useless.

Lydana got to her feet and began inspecting the device that had held her, its portable power module, and any of the myriad handheld tools used to keep them functioning. It was a long shot, but maybe she could rig some sort of subspace signal…

Determined to get out of her captivity, Lydana set to work, hoping that she could make _something_ work.

* * *

Lydana was busy swearing at the innards of a now-defunct teleporter device, which her double had used to pull her off the _Shadow_ , when it happened.

A distinct, brief _whoosh_ echoed through the cavern, and Lydana paused in her work with a weary sigh.

"I was wondering when you would get around to tormenting me, Q," she said without turning to face the sound, and resumed her work.

"Tormenting? _Me?_ " asked a voice coloured with feigned hurt. "My dear Admiral, you positively wound me!"

"I'm sure," Lydana answered sardonically. "What are you here for, then? To suddenly open this cavern to space? Send me into the past as part of some twisted test? Perhaps you intend to send me into the Occupation of Bajor, just for 'fun'?"

Lydana shook her head, carrying on with her work again. She had seen the reports from Picard and Janeway about the entity known as Q. The powers of a god, the understanding of a child, and a galaxy-sized superiority complex, Q was an entity to be feared. His motives were entirely unknown, and he was as likely to help a captain as he was to turn them into a Tarkalian sand beetle.

"Admiral, Admiral!" Q crooned, reappearing beside Lydana with a snap of his fingers. "Why ever would you think such cruel things about little, harmless old _moi_?"

"How about thirty or forty years of records from Starfleet officers?" Lydana countered, meeting the entity's mischievous eyes.

"They exaggerate, you know," Q teased, "but as it happens, I came here to help you."

"That I find difficult to believe."

Q merely smiled, and snapped his fingers again.

* * *

In an instant, the two of them were in a different cavern, or so it seemed to Lydana - it could well have been an extension of the previous one, for all she knew. She got to her feet, and gasped at what she saw before her.

A sleek, winged starship, roughly the size of a Starfleet Runabout, sat in the cavern, facing towards an opening that showed nothing but clear space - the only thing between her and explosive decompression was a forcefield, evident by a tell-tale hum.

She walked towards the craft, mouth agape as she reached a hand out to its gently curving hull. She was almost shocked to find her hand met cool metal.

"It's real," she breathed to Q. "It's…Prophets...a _Denorios_ -class Interceptor! I've only read about these…"

"And don't say I never give you anything," Q told her, an ever-present smirk playing at his lips.

"Okay, I'll bite," Lydana said at last, turning towards the man in a uniform he'd never owned. "What's the catch?"

"Catch?" Q asked, with mock pain. "Again, you hurt my feelings, Admiral! I only want to help you get out of here!"

"Why?" Lydana's tone was ice-cold this time, no longer in the mood for games.

Q's expression become equally as serious, something which very rarely happened.

"Because I don't like it when other creatures want to play in _my_ universe," he sneered. "I want to help you take back your ship, because the person who stole it from you does not belong here. Quite frankly, I'm amazed she made it here at all, without being torn to pieces. Sometimes the resilience of you inferior beings amazes me. Briefly."

Lydana nodded slowly, still unconvinced.

"And the reason you haven't taken me straight to my ship is…?"

"Why, because that would be too easy, of course!" Q exclaimed, his usual humour back with a vengeance. "I want to see you overcome your trials in order to do what must be done, so to that end, you might want to get to work on making your new toy flyable."

"It doesn't _fly?!_ " Lydana snapped. She knew it had been too good to be true.

"I'm sure someone of your 'skill' will get it done in no time," Q told her condescendingly. "However, I'm not willing to risk my universe, so don't fret - you'll have help."

Lydana narrowed her eyes at the man, expecting anything from a psychotic Klingon to a Jem'Hadar warrior.

Q simply smirked and snapped his fingers again, disappearing in a flash and leaving Lydana bemused as to what had just happened.

She looked around, and saw no-one else around, and with a resigned sigh walked over to the Interceptor, to begin finding out why it wouldn't fly.

She was about to open the cockpit hatch when she heard mumbling from the other side of the ship, and looked under the nose of the small vessel.

Sure enough, there was another pair of legs standing the other side, attached to a person who - if the nervous muttering was anything to go by - was not particularly experienced.

Lydana slowly walked around the ship's prow, and leaned against it as she laid eyes on her new ally.

The woman was tall, slender and visibly awkward, moving with the sharp movements of someone who is on the edges of panic. A spill of jet black hair poured freely down her back, ending just below her shoulderblades, and what Lydana could see of her features was of a woman with a small, oval face with well-defined cheekbones, and a narrow chin.

"Who are you?" Lydana asked flatly, and the woman - _or girl_ , she thought - spun around in shock with a yelp.

There was a moment's pause as they saw each other properly for the first time, and the newcomer's eyes went wide.

"Oh, _fuck._ "


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I apologise for how short this chapter is, but I needed to let you dear folks know I was still thinking of you - It's been hell trying to find the time to write lately, so I'm giving you this just to let you know I'm still alive :) Thanks, as always, to Kretolus, and also to the awesome Dr Zevil who has also purchased my novels. Thanks for the support, guys!**

* * *

Lydana knew she was missing details, but after being knocked out twice she felt she could be excused for that. She was certain she recognised the girl's uniform, but couldn't recall where, and there was something about her features that nagged at her mind. The girl fidgeted constantly, picking at her fingernails or toying with her hair. Clearly she was nervous.

"You still haven't answered me," Lydana pointed out, frowning as the girl emitted a nervous half-giggle.

"I-I-I, ummm...I'm- I mean, m-my name is...er, Léonie," she managed, and Lydana noticed a slight accent in the girl's voice.

"Well, that's a start," Lydana answered. "I'm Lydana."

"I know," the girl said, and immediately clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in alarm.

"'you know'?" Lydana repeated, her eyes narrowing. Suddenly she brightened, finally recognising the uniform. "Oh, of course you know," she started more cheerfully, "you're a Temporal Agent."

Léonie relaxed - eventually - and nodded, seemingly rendered mute by her own shock.

"Giving me the silent treatment?"

"Er...n-no," Léonie managed. "I just...I need to watch wh-what I say. Mama always says I t-talk too much- fuck!" She clapped a hand over her mouth again and scurried away, and Lydana wondered how the poor girl stayed on her feet, with such long legs and an apparent inability to control them.

"Did she ever say you swear too much, too?" Lydana said with a chuckle, but Léonie just gave another nervous giggle.

They began working together on the ship, Lydana's mind racing around the problems before her...and the mystery of her new companion. She was certain there was something about the girl she was missing, but she simply couldn't place it.

On several occasions, the girl said something, or nearly said something, then clapped a hand over her mouth and scurried away. She was like some sort of easily-startled rodent, and Lydana grew more perplexed.

Things began to fall into place when they began to work in the brighter light of the cockpit. Lydana turned around to speak to Léonie, and paused as she finally noticed something she had missed before. Her eyes narrowed, and the younger girl looked up nervously.

"W-what is it?" she stammered, her eyes darting from side to side.

"Your nose," Lydana stated. "You...have some subtle nose-ridges. Are you...half Bajoran?"

Léonie gave a nervous laugh, emitting a series of nonsensical sounds as her nerves got the best of her.

"Hah, ah, ha...um...y-yes?" she managed, and Lydana leaned as close as she could.

"Who are you? Really?"

"W-w-well, I, uh, I can't, um-"

"And don't give me that Temporal Prime Directive crap either, I need to know I can trust you," Lydana added in a firm tone, adding to Léonie's flustered state.

"I-I-I can't, I mean, I shouldn't, uh, because...uh, because...because...er...I'm...um…"

The taller girl swallowed visibly.

"I'm...your daughter," she added in a tiny voice.

Lydana turned around again, dumbfounded. Several times she started to turn, to say something or ask another question, and each time her brain tried to unravel yet again.

"B...but my wife died," she managed, after a full five minutes of aborted questions.

"Your first wife did," Léonie answered, before covering her mouth again. "Seriously, y-you can't talk to me! Me just being here has probably...oh, fuck, Mama will kill me!"

With that, Léonie hurried back into the crew compartment towards the aft of the vessel, and Lydana pushed herself out of her seat to follow her.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: HOLY SHIT, I'M BACK! Wow. I am so sorry for being gone so long folks, but I have had a shit time of trying to write _anything_ lately. So here is the first of two updates, the second coming...sometime this week. maybe. I haven't decided. But SOON!**

 **Huge, huge, HUGE thanks to my friend DrZevil, for lending his character to this story and for helping to further the plot. As always, thanks to Kretolus as well, because he's awesome. Both of these people write some epic fics that you need to go and write.**

 **And now...I'm going to have a nap. This took a lot out of me!**

 **Thanks for reading, everyone!**

* * *

The young Admiral found Léonie sat on a small seat, head in her hands and on the verge of sobbing. She kneeled down in front of the clumsy young woman, taking her hands in her own.

"Listen Léonie," she said softly, trying to make eye contact despite Léonie's attempts to look away, "I'm...pretty stunned by what you've told me, yes, but...I need your help. I need you to work with me to get this ship flying again, because right now my evil twin is flying around the galaxy with-"

"A Starfleet Intelligence issue _Scryer_ -class science vessel, I know," Léonie sniffed, wiping away an errant tear. "I just...I'm better than this, you know? I work so hard to...to prove I can do things right, and then...and then I practically ruin the timeline!"

She began crying, leaning onto Lydana's shoulder suddenly and clinging to her with enough force to choke a Klingon. Almost as suddenly she let go, sitting upright again and stammering.

"Uh, uh, right, um, s-sorry, I know I shouldn't-...but it's just-"

"Léonie, calm down," Lydana told her, injecting some force into her tone in order to get the girl's attention. "The temporal prime directive shit? It doesn't matter right now, okay?"

Léonie nodded.

"Good. We need to get this ship flying. Now, can you help me do that, or are you going to have a breakdown every time something comes up that you think I shouldn't know?"

Léonie sniffed again, scrubbed at her eyes and took a deep breath, before finally standing up as best she could inside the small ship.

"Let's get back to it, mama," she said, smiling at Lydana before heading back into the cockpit, and the admiral paused for a moment.

"That will take a _lot_ of getting used to," she muttered, before following her daughter to resume the repairs.

It took time - much more time than Lydana wanted it to, and most likely far more than they had, but if they were going to save the galaxy from...well, her, they needed a ship that _worked_ first.

They flew in relative silence, Léonie loathe to give away yet more secrets of the future, and Lydana lost in her own thoughts. They spoke only when the ship's operations demanded it, and a warning tone from Léonie's station heralded just such an occasion.

"We're picking up another ship," the awkward woman said softly. "It's Starfleet...reads as a retrofitted _Galaxy_ -class. The...USS _Le Fey."_

" _Le Fey_?" Lydana queried, frowning. "That's...Admiral Zevil's ship, if I'm not mistaken. Not sure what brings her out here, but I'm not complaining. Open-"

"Um...they're hailing _us_ ," Léonie interrupted, still sounding a little uncertain.

Lydana looked around for a screen, and when she didn't find one shrugged and told Léonie to answer the hail anyway.

"Denorios _-class Interceptor, this is Admiral Xavius Vexius Zevil of the United Federation Starship_ Le Fey _. We see you're ship is in need of some care, do you require assistance?"_

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Admiral. Admiral Kassai Lydana, of Starfleet Intelligence. And yes, my ship could use a little...attention," she answered with a chuckle.

 _"Admiral Kassai? I'm surprised to see you away from the shadow, and on a Bajoran shuttle. I'd love to hear the story behind that, unless of course your required to kill me after telling me."_

Lydana chuckled again. It felt good after the brutality of her captivity.

"For once, no, I'm not required to 'silence' anybody," she said with a smile, before sobering again. "Although, I would prefer to keep this between you and me...for a number of reasons."

There was a momentary pause before Zevil replied, as if he was issuing instructions to his crew.

 _"Very well then, the hanger doors are open and I will send my Chief of Operations to meet you and bring you to my ready room. Zevil, out."_

The channel closed, and Lydana put them on a course to rendezvous with the _Le Fey._ She allowed herself a sigh of relief - this would be a lot easier with other allies.

"Um...should I...should I stay here?" Léonie asked timidly, but Lydana shook her head.

"No, you're in this as much as I am. Besides, I don't know your skillset - you might have something valuable to add."

She couldn't see, but behind her Léonie smiled broadly.

The small Bajoran vessel fitted easily among the standard shuttles in the _Le Fey_ 's hangar, and the two women exited the ship and walked towards the officer sent to meet them.

"Welcome to the _Le Fey_ , Admiral Kassai and-" she gave Léonie a confused look. "-guest, I'm Lieutenant Commander Six of Nine, follow me to the Captain's Ready Room."

Without any further comment, the Lieutenant-Commander turned and strode towards the turbolift, leaving Léonie and Lydana hurry after her.

The short journey passed in silence, and eventually they were brought to the Admiral's ready room.

Admiral Zevil was a tall, graceful man, his black hair combed back and his small beard and mustache were immaculately groomed. While his purple scaled skin often put others off, Lydana was unbothered, and she greeted the man warmly.

"As lovely as it is to finally meet you, Admiral Kassai," he began in a cultured voice, "would you please explain to me why a 29th century officer is with you? Or is this something to do with a man named Daniels?"

Lydana gave her daughter a sideways glance, then shook her head.

"No, worse - something to do with a man named Q. I'm sure it goes without saying, Xavius, that this entire conversation doesn't leave this room. Are we clear?"

Without breaking eye contact, Zevil said, "Computer, deactivate all sensors in the this room and erase all data collected since Admiral Kassai entered. Zevil-omega-5-7-1-1-2." A positive tone confirmed the Admiral's instructions. "I would say crystal clear. Now what has that imp done now?"

Without asking for permission, Lydana collapsed into the small sofa in Zevil's ready room, gesturing for Léonie to follow suit.  
"Actually, he's the least of my troubles," she said wearily, heaving a heavy sigh and scrubbing at her eyes. "This is Léonie, by the way. She's my daughter, which should give you some insight into what that 'imp' has done. But the 'what' is less important than the 'why'."

Oh, well then nice to meet you." Zevil said to Léonie, before turning back to Lydana and the task at hand.  
"I've read the various accounts concerning Q, especially Admiral Janway's. So tell me, what is it that Q thinks he's helping us with?" Zevil asked as he leaned back in his seat and steepled his fingers. "And I think we should at least consider that Q might have caused this in some way we 'simple three dimensional peons' can't fathom, but tell me what we are dealing with, Admiral."

"No, he doesn't seem to have caused this one. On fact, I genuinely believe he us trying - in his way - to help fix the situation."  
Zevil raised an eyebrow, an invitation for her to continue, and she obliged.  
"Well, the short version is, my Mirror Universe counterpart has broken through into _our_ universe, stolen my identity and my ship for who-knows-what reason, and Q decided that he didn't like interlopers 'playing in his universe'. He gave me a ship, my daughter to help make it space-worthy, and now I've found you to help me get my ship back. Any questions?"

Zevil is quiet for a moment, "In that case, I need you to come here and give me your hands."  
She raised her eyebrow this time, so Zevil clarified, "You just told me that a duplicate of you has infiltrated our government. Now you can be telling the truth that she is on your ship, _or_ you could be said duplicate and trying to use me to do your dirty work."  
Zevil leaned forward and his voice went cold, "So I would like to do my peoples' version of the Vulcan mind meld, to make sure you are not only who you say you are, but that you are telling me the truth."

Lydana leaned forwards and offered her hands willingly, understanding the necessity with her twin now in the same universe.  
"I hope you can focus only on what you need to see, Xavius," she said, her tone icy. "There are things in my head no-one outside of Intelligence should know...and things no-one else should suffer."

"Luckily for me and my curiosity, Valix's Will doesn't work like that, think of it more along the lines of a psychic polygraph. I will get the emotions of the your answer and a glance at the memory associated with them," Zevil explained, as he placed his hands on her wrists and she did the same. "Now close your eyes and open your mind. I will hear your truth and I will hear no lies.

"Now, give me the story again, this time leave no detail out." She did as she was asked, and after a moment to look through the information, Zevil sighed, let go of Lydana, and tapped his badge. "Stand down, Commander Utprut, the security team will not be necessary."

 _"Yes sir,"_ Said a feminine voice on the other end of the comm.

"I hope you're not offended, Admiral Kassai, but if you were lying, I wanted to be prepared. I've recently been to the Mirror Universe and tangled with a Terran Captain, so I know how deceptive and dangerous people from that universe can be."

"Not at all, I understand the need for precautions. Perhaps now we can discuss how I can get my ship back?"

"Of course. We can head over to your ship's last coordinates, but I doubt it's still there," Zevil said, stroking his chin in thought.  
"We can discuss tracking options with my Senior Staff, but I perhaps... there is a human saying, Admiral: 'put yourself in their shoes.'" Getting an unamused glare from the petite Admiral, Zevil chuckled.  
"Metaphorically, not physically," he said as he held up a hand placatingly. "If you were this version of yourself, an evil scheming psychopath that has been beaten down time and time again by both your own people _and_ the fascist government that rules the galaxy, what would you do in a universe where your counterpart was successful?"

Lydana narrowed her eyes in thought.

"Hmm...one of two options. Either a power trip, or tear down that counterpart's...successes..."  
She looked up suddenly, her expression one of alarmed realisation.

"Wait a minute. She said to me she intended to...'make our name one for all to fear'. What's the easiest way for an Intel science vessel to spread fear?"

"It can..." Zevil suddenly paled. "By the Night Cloak, it can fly in, cloaked, and disable a fleet with a variety of cyber attacks and then one by one destroy every ship! But...if she's really nasty, she can fly to a planet, disable their defenses and launch a bio weapon, possibly killing millions." Zevil shot to his feet. "And if she is going to tear down your success, there is only one place in the galaxy I can think of that would do that."

"By the Prophets," Lydana whispered in horror, getting to her feet as well. "New Romulus!"

"Exactly," Zevil said before going out the door and barking orders to his crew.  
"Red Alert! Helm set course for New Romulus, maximum warp! Lieutenant Commander Six, send Subspace messages to my task force to meet me at New Romulus immediately and inform New Romulus that there is an attack eminent and to ready their defenses for a cloaked ship. Lieutenant K'Thoke, arm weapons and read emission seeking torpedoes."  
Zevil sat down in his chair as his crew got to work, sparing a glance at the woman who was clearly his first officer from the uniform and the fact she was sitting in the number one seat, but said nothing before turning to Lydana. "Admiral Kassai, if you don't mind, I would like you at the science station. If anyone can find a solution to finding and disabling the Shadow, it would be you."

Lydana moved to a science station, familiarising herself with the capabilities of a retrofitted Galaxy-class ship. Léonie moved nervously into the bridge area, making several uncertain motions before attempting to speak.

"Um, where-"

"Next to me, sweetheart," Lydana said firmly, not looking up from her console. "Admiral Zevil, I'm setting up a recurring Tachyon detection field through the deflector dish, it'll help detect any cloaked ships in our immediate area."

"Very good Admiral." Zevil said, before turn back to the rest of his crew, "Status report, all other stations."

"I have yet to receive a response from New Romulus but I have sent word to your task force, Admiral." Said Six from the operations station. "The _Lecter_ , _Grindel_ , and the _Saruman_ will meet us there, but the _Cardinal_ , _DeWinter_ , and _Maleficent_ are otherwise occupied with other missions and cannot get away."

"Tell those captains that unless their mission involves the possibility of planetary genocide and the possibility of going to war with the Republic, tell them that their mission is not a priority." Zevil said decisively. "And keep trying to get in contact, but if you still can't, send a message to Obisek. Next."

"Emission-Seeking Torpedoes are armed and ready for use Admiral," said a muscle bound giant of a Klingon.

"All systems are nominal and shields are ready sir!" said an older looking human with an accent that Elisa had called Scottish.

"Security officers are ready to board the ship when we can and they have been ordered to shoot to stun only," announced a short woman in an Intel uniform.

"ETA thirty minutes, but I can make it ten if we engage slipstream drive, sir," said a Caitian at the helm.

"Do it." Zevil turned back to the human at the Engineering station. "Chief, let's see if we can make it five minutes."

"Aye sir. Computer, transfer Rupert program to Engineering." Suddenly he was gone, causing Léonie to squeak in surprise, and leaving behind a mobile emitter.

"One last thing," Lydana said, addressing no-one in particular. "I would _really_ appreciate it if someone got me a proper uniform."


End file.
